Card game



W. R. IRWIN Nov. 3, 1959 CARD GAME 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 2. 1953INVENTOR. W.R. IRWIN ATTORNEY Nov. 3, 1959 w. R. IRWIN 2,911,220

CARD GAME Filed June 2. 195a 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 N Qq INVENTOR.

Q BY Warm ATTORNEY w. R. IRWIN CARD GAME Nov. 3, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 3Filed June 2. 1953 INVENTOR. W.R.|RW|N ATTORNEY Nov. 3, 1959 w, R, .Rwl'2,911,220

'CARD GAME Filed June 2. 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 w R, w W. 521%??- ATORNEY Nov. 3, 1959 wRlRwlN 2,911,220

CARD GAME Filed June 2. 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. W.R. IRWIN AORNEY CARD GAME William R. Irwin, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Application-June 2, 1953, Serial No. 359,033

4 Claims. (Cl. 273152.1)

This invention relates to a card game and to a series of cards forplaying the same. More particularly, the invention relates to such agame in which the cards are adapted to be superimposed, 'one overanother, in different combinations and arrangements, in the course ofplaying of the game, in order to build up maximum scoring possibilitieswith the cards fortuitously dealt or otherwise distributed.

One of the objects of the invention is to devise a card game which issufliciently simple to enable it to be played by the young andsufficiently interesting to appeal to people of mature age.

Another object is to provide a series of cards for use in playing thegame which will be novel in form and structure and capable of beingeconomically produced.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In accordance with the invention I provide a set of cards which arecomposed of a transparent material, such as a transparent plastic, andwhich have a display delineated thereon, such as by an opaque pigment,the displays being of different 'shapes, coloring or other distinctivenature, and correlated to each. other so that they will be combinable toform composite figures, scenes or displays when two or more selectedcards are superimposed or overlaid. The cards have scoring indicationsthereon which are selectively displayed or covered or partiallydisplayed or covered to elfect modification thereof dependin'g upon thestacked relation of the cards in what may be termed a meld. The opaquedisplay on the face of the cards may differ in shape, color, surfacemarking, and the like, from that of the rear so as to hide or mask theface display, and may be duplicated in size, shape and location'onvarious cards to further prevent identification of the front surfacedisplay.

The game may be played in a variety of ways, as by the dealing of .apredetermined number of cards to each player. The cards may then bearranged in the most advantageous relation to build up compositedisplays by superimposing certain of the cards on each other. Thereafterthe hand may be improved by picking up additional cards and byjudiciously discarding from the hand in accordance with prescribedrules, or by other means of interchange with .other players. The groupsof cards forming composite displays may then be laid down or melded,either when completed or at a subsequent point in the game, and thescore calculated in accordance with the scoring indications on thecompleted groups. Penalties may also be imposed, if desired, forincomplete groups, isolated cards, and unmelded groups held in the hand.

The nature of the invention will be more fully understood by referenceto the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 shows the front face or display side of a set of five cardsrepresentative of those employed to form a larger or playing deck;

Fig. 2 shows the reverse or rear side of the cards form: ingthe group ofFig. 1; i

United States Patent r 2,911,220 Patented Nov. 3, 1959 ice Fig. 9 showsthe rear appearance of each of the cards of Fig. 8;

Figs. 10 and 11 show different composite displays produced bysuperimposing the cards of Fig. 8 in different combinations; and

Fig. 12 shows the front face of a third modified group of cardsrepresentative of a deck.

Referring first to Fig. 1, each of the cards A, B, C, D and E consistsof a transparent support 10 of uniform size and shape, having differentopaque displays 11 there- On, preferably produced by printing. Thedisplays are shown in black and white for the purpose of illustration,but may be produced in any desired colors. Each display is incomplete initself, forming a part only of a complete figure, but such parts aredisposed on the individual cards in such position that when two or moreof the cards are laid one over the other, with their edges aligned, acomposite figure will be produced, and by varying the arrangements ofthe cards a number of such composite figures may be formed.

Each card also displays a scoring indication 12, in the form of anumeral contained within a box at the lower left hand corner and thesenumerals are so arranged that they will produce a composite number whenthe cards are overlaid, which will vary with the particular order inwhich the cards are stacked.

The rear of the cards, as shown in Fig. 2, are also pigmented with asolid color 13 so as to disguise the design on the face and render itmore difficult to ascertain the surface display from the back of thecard, yet giving an indication by which the player can employ hisjudgment in making a selection either from the pack or the discard pileor from an opponents hand, depending upon the rules which are providedfor supplementing the hand. These rear markings being of the generalcontour of the face display but being left to right reversals thereofand often top to bottom reversals, depending on the fortuitousarrangement of the cards, adds an interest in the nature of an IQ.factor to the game, thus differentiating from the usual card games inwhich the selection is made either purely by chance or from cards openlydisplayed.

As previously stated, the object of the game is to arrange thecards, oneover the other in sets or melds, to form one or more composite pictures,and in Figs. 3 to 7 a number of such sets are shown utilizing the cardsA to E.

In Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6, the composite display is composed of the cardsA, B, C and D. In Fig. 3 it is made of cards C, B and A, disposed fromthe top down, in this order. The scoring points are obtained jointlyfrom cards C and B.

In Fig. 4 the order of the cards from the top down is D, C and B, with adisplayed score of 505. I

In Fig. 5 the group is composed of cards D, B and A, giving a score of205, and'in Fig. 6 card B over card A produces the complete figure witha score of 200.

In each of the groups of Figs. 3 to 6, the order of the cards may bechanged while still producing a complete set. For instance, cards A,Band C forming the design of Fig. 3 may be arranged, from the top down,in the order A, B, or A, C, B (score B, C, A or B, A (score 200); or C,A, B (score 500). Likewise the: cards B, C, D and A, B, D,',comprisingFigs. 4 and 5, respectively, may be differently superimposed'to produceother scores. This ability to arrange a given set of cards to producethe most advantageous score adds an educa- 3 tional feature when thecards are employed in a childs game.

Fig. 7 adds card E to the grouping, being a composite of cards B, E andA. By the addition of this card, eight new possible groups may beobtained, and each of these groups may be disposed in different ordersso as to modify the score, and to the same extent, the design. Thus eachadditional card provides an increasing number of possible combinations.

It will be understood that the five cards shown are by way of exampleonly and that a complete deck may include other cards combinable withthose shown as well as cards which are uncombinable with those shown butwhich are combinable with each other to form entirely separategroupings. The combined displays or designs may include a wide varietyof subjects, such as television and comic strip characters, athletes,animals, scenes, maps, and other fanciful or educational matter. A deckincluding mannequin base cards with variable wardrobe cards produces agame particularly interesting to young girls.

In Fig. 8 I have shown three cards, representative of a modified form ofdeck, each card F, G and H, having two transparent portions 15 and 16and two opaque portions 17 and 18, the opaque and transparent portionsbeing of approximately equal size and so located that when any two cardsare properly oriented the opaque portion of one will be disposed beneaththe transparent portion of another, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11. Eachopaque face portion contains a symbol or figure so that when each pairof cards are properly superimposed a composite representation will beproduced. Fig. 10 shows card F over card H and Fig. 11 shows card G overcard H. Cards F and G will combine to produce still anotherrepresentation. Scoring may be based on the nature of therepresentation. Thus Fig. 10 represents three of a kind, Fig. 11 a pair.Cards F and G would also produce three of a kind. These cards have alsoa suit marking of hearts. Other suits maybe provided with the playablecombinations restricted, if desired, to a single suit.

All of the cards have the same rear appearance, as shown in Fig. 9, thuseliminating any possibility of determining the surface markings from theback of the deck.

Obviously the cards are not limited to the particular number, size andlocation of the opaque portions shown, nor in an arrangement whichrequires the combination of two cards only to form a completed design.

Fig. 12 shows a group of three cards physically similar to the cards ofFig. 8 but in which the markings on the face of the cards is combinableto form difierent unitary pictorial representations. Thus, cards I and Imay be superimposed to form one figure, and cards I and K may besimilarly combined to form a different figure. It is contemplated that acomplete deck will include other cards combinable with I, I or K to formstill further pictures. Each of the cards I, J and K have an identicalappearance from the back and hence the rear view of the cards give noclue to the combinability of any two cards.

It will be noted that the transparent portions of all of the cards ofFigs. 8 and 12 are spaced equally apart but are oflfset with respect toone end of the cards so that when the cards are stacked and oriented inone position, the transparent areas will be in alignment but when theorientation of one card is reversed relative to that of another, thetransparent areas of each card will be out of alignment with each otherand in alignment with the opaque area of the other card, and that inthis latter arrangement the graphic display on the underneath card isvisible and, when the cards are properly selected, comhinable with thegraphic display on the overlying card to produce the compositerepresentation. In the cards of Fig. 8, these composite representationsproduce variable scoring combinations, and in the cards of Fig. 12 theyproduce a composite picture.

It will thus be evident that the cards are susceptible to a widevariation in design and in the combinable delineations thereon withoutdeparting from the inventive concept.

What I claim is:

1. A card game including a series of cards of the same size andconfiguration adapted to be shuffled to arrange the cards in fortuitousorder, each of said cards being composed of a transparent material andbeing partially opaque and partially transparent, a pigmented displaycomprising a plurality of contrasting areas forming a part only of acomposite pictorial representation visible on the face of each of saidcards and forming said opaque portion thereof, the opaque portions ofcertain cards being located, at least in part, in the position of thetransparent area of other cards, so that when a selected plurality ofsaid cards are superimposed face up in properly oriented position withtheir edges in align.- ment, the face display of an underneath cardwillbe visible'through the transparent area of an overlying card andcombinable With the face display of said overlying card to form acomposite pictorial representation, the facial display on said opaqueportions of each of said cards being masked by a separate pigmentationvisible on the back of said cards, whereby the combinability of saidfacial displays will not be evident when said cards are disposed facedown.

2. A card game including a series of cards of the same size andconfiguration adapted to be shuflied to arrange the cards in fortuitousorder, each of said cards being composed of a transparent material andbeing partially opaque and partially transparent, a pigmented displaycomprising a plurality of contrasting areas forming a part only of acomposite pictorial representation visible on the face of each of saidcards and forming said opaque portion thereof, the opaque portions ofcertain cards being located, at least in part, in the position of thetransparent areas of other cards, so that when a selected plurality ofsaid cards are superimposed face up in properly oriented position Withtheir edges in alignment, the face display ofan underneath card will bevisible through the transparent area of an overlying card and combinablewith the face display of said overlying card to'form a compositepictorial representation, the facial display on said opaque portions ofeach of said cards being masked by a separate pigmentation visible onthe back of said cards, whereby the combinability of said facialdisplays will not be evident when said cards are disposed face down,scoring numbers on the face of said cards, said numbers heingselectively exposed or masked to produce composite numbers when saidselected plurality of cards are superimposed to form said compositepictorial representation.

3. A card game including a series of cards of the same size andconfiguration adapted to be shuified to arrange the cards in fortuitousorder, each of said cards having at least one transparent and one opaquearea, the transparent area of each of said cards being of the same sizeand in alignment with each other when said cards are superimposed withtheir edges in alignment and oriented in a predetermined position, andsaid transparent areas of some of said cards being out of alignment anddis,- posed over said opaque areas of others of said cards when theorientation of said others of said cards is reversed, the opaque areasof each card having a similar pigmentation when viewed from one sidethereof, whereby said cards are indistinguishable from each other whenso viewed graphic displays visible on the other side of said opaque areaof each of said cards, the graphic displays on certain of said cardsdiffering from those of others of said cards and being visible throughthe transparent .area

of another of said cards and combinable with the graphic display of saidlatter card to form a composite display when selected ones of said cardsare superimposed with their edges in alignment and oriented with theirtransparent areas out of alignment.

4. A card game including a series of cards of the same size andconfiguration adapted to be shufiied to arrange the cards in fortuitousorder, each of said cards having a plurality of transparent areas and aplurality of opaque areas, the transparent areas of each of said cardsbeing of the same size and in alignment with each other when said cardsare superimposed with their edges in alignment and oriented in apredetermined position, and said trans parent areas of some of saidcards being out of alignment and disposed over said opaque areas ofothers of said cards when the orientation of said others of said cardsis reversed, the opaque areas of each card having a similar pigmentationwhen viewed from one side thereof, whereby said cards areindistinguishable from each other when so viewed, graphic displaysvisible on the other side of said opaque areas of each of said cards,the graphic dis plays on certain of said cards difiering from that ofothers of said cards and being visible through the transparent areas ofanother of said cards and combinable with the graphic display of saidlatter card to form a composite display when selected ones of said cardsare superimposed with their edges in alignment and oriented with theirtransparent areas out of alignment.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS636,319 Camp Nov. 7, 1899 2,634,132 Freedman Apr. 7, 1953 FOREIGNPATENTS 635.724 Germany Sept. 29, 1936

